Continuous vulcanizer



A. L. WALLACE CONTINUOUS VULCAN'IZER Jan. 16, 1940.

Filed Ia rch 16, 1955 s She ets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Jan. 16, 1940.

A. L. WALLACE GONTINUOUS VULCANIZER Filed March 16, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet2 -m n 3 i s. 2 1 3 m 8 5 3 r .w 5 g T? V s a m m OE w INVENTOR.)

BY M

mdmomowono ATTORNEY.

Jan. 16, 1940. A. L. WALLACE commuous VULCANIZER s Sheets-Sh eet a j/l/ZINVENTOR.

Filed March 16, 1935 ATTORNEY.

Jan. 16, 1940.' A. L. WALLACE CONTINUOUS VULCANIZER 6 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed March 16, 1955 Z INVENTOR,

ALL

ATTORNEY.

A. L. WALLACE CONTINUOUS VULCANIZER Filed March 16, 1935 Jan. 16, 1940.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

Jan. 16, 1940. A. L. WALLACE (IONTINUOUS VULCANIZER Filedlarch 1e, 19:556 Sheets-Sheet s L .m. u m

ATTORNEY.

an I IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIII III I II I II I I I TIIIIIIIIIII II I II I II III i Y Paulina Jan. 1 ,1940:

tinuously operatin g the mould members;-

45 1 Fig. 5 is asection, on an enlarged scale; on the? joonrrmuoosvtiwii'mzen; v Archibald Ii, Wallace, Brooklyn; N. Y; assighdrinto Bichni'd 'H. Crook; trustee m to provide a mechanisml which shall"efiicientlyfl perform the desired vulcanization and which shell bereliable and economieal in-the-use of power,

A further and mor e -detailed objeot of theiin ventionmis to provideimpz oved means forlcon- A furthef objector-the invention is to"iinp1ove the supports 01 bear-ing' surfaoes for 'the st ucture including themould members. i i i A furtherqobject of the invention is to provide l5rimprioved means' fon applying DITeSSilIEftO the" materiai tobevulcanized. i A further objectot the-irivention is to provide;

improved means or supplying i the vulcanizing heat. l H 1 I A furthe r;object o: the invention is to providefimproved Jmeans for driving" theymould member" structure. 1; I k

A' fu tthernobject-of the invention isto provide improved means forguiding andholding *the m seize cal mould member series inptoperreletion.

Other. end ancillary objects of the invention 'willisappea rhereinafter, In the aocompenying drawings,which illustrate the itinvention i i vuleaniz ing a lp paratus embodying the invention thedifferent devices for-handling the -s teehstrips; except the v topandbottomflones being omittedfor thesakeT ofoleamessj and also thev pressure mouldmenx I 3 bets; except twoyseries, being omitted tor thesake of elearness. i v Fig.2 is a topplan view of the apparatus"of" i vLu n Fig; 3is a section,on an enlarged scale, partly m bm kfen away;onthe "line 3-54 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is: a sectiongonereduced scale, 'onithe line 47-4 of Fig. 3;showing a; single steeii strip operating Ineensja'nd asinglepressureinoiilddp Werating meansp I i line 5--5 jof Fig. 4,showing a; cross section of the pressurelmould operating means; i itFig-615a side elevation ofthedr ivingmeans fora steeistrip;

50 Fig.7 is o, too plan view of theapparatus of mould members and alsothe opeia ing iiponfthe steel strips which 'aie tightlyprelss with allof the -steel strip driving means in place. 1 Fig. 12'isan elevationpartly in section on the 'tion throughthehose and its enclosing parts{when they'al e in the relation for the vulanizingi Fig. 1 4 isa'perspective view, onfan enlarged sea/1e, of an individual mouidmember.

Fig: 15 isa perspective View; on an enlarged 18 scale, of anindividualdog or nclalmping mmber for securing the mouldmembers of different-se-Fig. 16 1saneievationaiview showing the ar rangement of the drivingme'aiis for the dz ivi'ng g gears for the mould members.

the line IT--l'l of Fig. 13 and partly broken away; showingparticulerlthe manner of opersitingtheniouldmembers,and i i j Fig; 18 isa;-*perspectiveg view; pertly broken away, of the guiding means for thenew strips attheir entmnceinto the vulcaniei'flff i Refemin'g tothedrawings,and firsttoFigs'. 1 1 i to 11 inc1usive,the appei atuscoin-prises frame including the iupi ights l upon which: are moiint edthe means for; operating the heated pressure fori: thestel -striiaswhich are employed n"';the 1 vuicanizing 'bperetion asWiIYbefhereinefter ex-" plained. I Refeningparticuialrly to Figs; "3, iend '5, the rubber tube or hose 2- to be vulcanized is passed betweentheflconcave ffaees of heated springpressed moulds" 1 3. Between thefeces of fthese 0 mouldsan'd the i'ubber tubeareinterposed fthinflexible steel strips l whlieh smroiind thefhose in two layers; thelayrshre'akin'g joints: *with each in its] passag 'anq fajre"suecessivelfbrought into cenized ai'e presented, the hose, being drawn? 136 A wardthrough thevul'canizing apparatus b p n.

o :2, .g, a v.

driving means.

The rubber hose to be vulcanized is fed into the apparatus and drawntherethrough continuously, the vulcanizing operation being continued foraslong a period as desired.

Each of the steel strips 4 is provided with identical apparatus fordriving and guiding it, the apparatus for the different strips beingdistributed at equal angles about the axis of the apparatus; Inamuch asthe apparatus for each strip is identical a description of suchapparatus for one strip will sufiice for all.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, a steel strip 4, which is' endless,enters beneath the pressure moulds 3 at the left and after passing outfrom the pressure moulds at the right extends to, and

about the pulley 5 thence it passesabout the 7 pulley 6, to and aboutthe pulley I; to and about the pulley 8, to and about the pulley 9,whence it passes over the guide pulleys l0 and Il to the point ofbeginning. The pulley .5 is simply an idle guide pulley but (seeFigs. -7to inclusive) the pulleysfi, I, 8, and 9 are driven. The pulleys 8 and 9areigeared together, as shown, while the pulleys 6 and l are gearedtogether. Meshing the driving apparatus of Figs. 6,to 10, for all of.the sixteen steel-strips about the mechanism is with the pulleys 6 and:9 is a spur gear I2 fixed on, the shaft l3.. Fixed upon theshaft I3 is aworm wheel l4 engaging with the worm l5 fixed on the shaft IE to whichis also fixed the driving sprocket I1. It will thus be seen. that thepowerv applied to the driving sprocket I! is transmitted through thegearings to drive the pulleys 6, 1, 8

and 9. It Willfurther be observed that by reason of the sinuous courseof the steel strip about the pulleys it will I have ,a greater area ofcontact 'zytherewith and the pulleys will, have a greater grip onthestrip. It will now be apparent that as the pulleys arethus driven,the steel strip will be pulled to the right at its bottom, course (seeFig. 4). and. will return from 'right to left at its topcourse. 'Themanner of. distribution of shown in;.Fig.,11. The sprockets I! it willbe seen are connectedtogether'by an endless sinuous sprocket chain l8andthe driving power is supplied byextending one of the shafts l6 beyondits sprocket and connecting thereto any suitable driving means'such asan electric motor l6" and V by means of the sprocketchain 18 the driveis gb transmittedto the operating-means for the other strips. The wormdrives I4l5 are alternately right and left handed so that all 30f thestrips 4 are pulled-in the; same direction. The guide pulleys l0 and H,for each strip are distributed ina, similarsmanner about the entranceend, of

the apparatus; I I

The pressure moulds 3-are arranged in, four distinct endless series andinasmuchas each one is the same as the, others a description of onev I{of them will sufiice for all. Referring particularly to Figs. 3 to 5,..each series of pressure moulds comprises an endless steel belt l9 uponwhich are individually secured, by rivets or. in other suitableways. thepressure moulds 3. The belt J9 with itssecured pressure moulds3 thusforms an endless flexible structure which passes abouttherotatablefsupportingpulleys 20 and 2|. It will be seen that except wherethe moulds pass about the pulleys, that is upon straight'runs suchlasuthe upper and lower courses between-the pulleys, the moulds fit.closelytogether. The steel belt lland the mould members at their lower"course, travel between side plates 22 and 23 which l are fixedat theirends to the stationary frame i of the apparatus; ,gndaptedto slide upand down 5' between the plates 22 and 23 is a pressurebar 24 which isurged toward the mould members by springs 25 each of which is secured atone end to a pin 26 fixed in one of the side plates 22, and at the otherto a pin 21 fixed in the pressure bar 24 and projecting through a slot28. Between the pressure bar 24 and the. mould members 3 at its lowercourse is interposed an treated, an electric heating resistor 30 isinserted in a cavity adjacent the pressure face of the member. Currentis supplied to the resistor by contact" shoes 3| and 32 carried by themould member, electrically connected with the ends of the resistor andbearing upon rods 33 and 34 of opposite electric polarity extendingalong the lower courseof'the pressure mould members and supported uponthe stationary frame of the apparatus. To supply the current to all fourof the series of mould members, four of these current supplying bars areprovided being distributed about the apparatus as indicated in Fig. 3,the bars being alternately of plus and minus polarity. As each pressuremould member enters its lower course and is about to enter into thevulcanizing operation the shoes 3| and 32 come into contact with thetrolley bars as 33 and 34 whereupon circuit through its heating elementis made and this circuit is maintained during the vulcanizing operationalong the lower course of travel of the main members by the sliding ofthe contact shoes along the trolley bars until the vulcanizing operationhas been-finished and the contact shoes pass off the trolley bars.

Itwill now be seen that (see particularly Fig. 3) in the use oftheapparatus, the inner courses of the four series of endless pressuremould members will form a substantially complete circumferentialenclosure about the rubber hose 2, there being interposed between thesemembers and the rubber hose, the two layers of fiat flexible steelstrips The spring. pressed bars 24 will force the concave faces of themould members against the steel stripswhich will thereby exert apressure upon or even become embedded in the rubber of thehose. At thesame time the heat suppliedloy'the electric-heater in each of the mouldmembers will cause the vulcanizing of the ma-.

. terial. The hose will thus be subjected to the v proper heat andpressure to cause it to assume the desired condition of vulcanization.Apull to the right (Fig; 4) upon each of the steel strips 4 is exertedby the pulleys 6, I, .8 and 9 as beforedescribed and as these stripsmove to the right under such pull they will draw, by reason of theirfrictional or embedded engagement with the rubber hose,thehose with themand also the mould blocks. The rollers 29 provide a roller bearingsupport for the mouldblocks and their supporting steel strip,thereby'greatly reducing the wear and, tear on the apparatus and thepower necessary to 'drawethe strips, rubber hose and mould blocksthrough the apparatus. While the lower course of each, of'the steelstrips 4 is drawn to the right (see. Fig. 4') the upper course of thestrip will be returning'to the left and so the strip may bemoved"continuously so long 'as it is desired to h h a iezesaf oontinue thevuicanizing operation. 1 As the lower course of mould members movestotheright with; the steel strips, at the end of that course, the

blocks move upwardly about the pulley 2| and thento the left along theupper courseand downwa-rdlyabout the pulley 20 to rerenterthe lower 3course and. successivelytake their places in-the vulcanizing course ofthe endless chain of rollers 29 willbe operation. Similarly the lowerrolled between the pressure bar 24 and the belt i9 so that the lowercourse of theseriesof rollers as a'whole will move towarcl' the right,eventually turning upwardly about the right hand side of the pressurebar and returning along the top of that bar to the point wherethey'turndownward- 1y about the bar and re-enter the space between the mould beltand the bar.

The tension on. the steel strips might be relieved by also applyingpower to the shaft of either. orciboth of the pulleys an. and 21. By theoperations .as described. it will be seen. that the uncured rubber hoseenters in between. (at the left of Fig. 4) the steelstripsl which arepressed vulcanization and. is ldischargedfrom the strips.

members throughout straight portions of the uponbythe heated: mouldmembers so that the hose isgfirmly gripped thereby andiscarried alongwith the strips and members, meanwhile being subjected to the heat andpressure to giveproper and mould membersQin proper vulcanized condi.-.

tion (at right of. Fig. 4) and this may be carried. 3

on continuously. as long as desired,

In the modification shownin Figs. -l2 to 18 inelusive, there are fourendless belts orseries 35, 36, 31 and 3 8, of mould members,jeach of themouldlmmbers35havinga curved concayed face co-operating with the similarmembers'of the other series to form1 a tubular encasement duringthevnlcanizing, for the rubber hose 2! to be vulcanized, At the back ofeach of the members, opposite the curved face, just referred to, the

mould membersof each seriesare secured to an endless .lflexible metalbelt 4| by means of riveting, or in other suitable ways, the mouldsfitting c ass tee the o tr ehtp t o s of the e t u separating to permitthe ready passageof' the belt 3 3 about pulleys or other, curves. ,Also,the moulds of one series preferably breakjoints with. the

inpulds of adjacent series. Also at the back of each of; themouldmembers, adjacent the. marginal edgesthereoi, are raised; gearteeth 42. formingracks, ther-acks on the mould members of one seriesco-operating with each other to form continuous racks at the edges ofthe mould series and adapted to be continuously; driven by two of thegears 43. The adjacent rack teeth oi adjacent edges of two seriesfofmould members registerwith .each other so astoiorm prac tically one rackwhich is engaged by one driving 1y with the teeth on thetwo series.

these shaitsbeingconnectedinfdrivingrelation by pairsof bevel gears andone of the shafts His extended and may therebybe driven by any gear 43,such driving-gear engaging'simultaneousr Thegears 43 are each. fixed ona-rotatablejshaft Bilgto which is fixed a sprocket wheel 6 I the foursprocket wheels 6! being driven by sprocket chains passing about themandthe sprocket wheels 62 on shafts 44 which are 'rotatably mounted inbearings on a stationary support,

suitable driving means such as xalmotor. or the like. @The bevel gears45 are all of the samesize sothat the sprockets which are of the samesize are] driven at the same speed. the equal sized sprockets-Mbeingqdriven .atthe same speedrand the equal-gears 43 are drivenat thesame speed and turn in a direction toall drive their engaged mouldseries in the same direction.

Each of the series ofv mould members 39 atthe entrance endof theapparatus passes about a stationary support 50, there being interposedbetween the steel belt 4| and the support an endless chain of rollers 5|which forms a roller bearing therebetween whereby the ease of passage ofthe mould series about the support is facilitated. Atthe other endtheseries of mould.

members. passes about a supporting pulley 53.

The supports 5ll are inclined inwardly toward the hose treated,passingfrom the entrance toward the vulcanizer, whereby the moulds of the sev-.

eral series are gradually passed closer together as they I movetowardthe vulcanizer, thereby pressing upon the flexible steel strips 4similar to the strips 4, which exert the desired vulcanizing pressureupon the rubber hose 2 To secure the mould members of'the several seriestogether after they have been forced to their innermost position andhave passed. be-

heath the gears43, there are provided a plurality of series-in this casefour, of clamps or dogs each of which comprises a series of U-shapeddogs or clamps 43 formed into an endless belt or series end. i i 1 Thelower course of the endless series 46 of clamps passes adjacent andparallel to the series of moldmembers and during the vulcanizingoperation bridges over two racks at the edges of return across the uppercourse of theirendles's.

series and turndownwardly about the pulley 49 and as they enter thelower course of the series will besuccessively brought intoengagementwith themould members to hold them together as beforereferred'to.

The flexible steel strips 4. are. guided. into proper relative positionsabout the hose to be vulcanizedby means of the "tapered structure (seeFigs. 17 and 18) comprising the outer. circumferentialseries of conduitsor channels and aninner series of similar conduits or channels56-secured in position bywelding, soldering or in any other suitableway, Each of thechannels is ,iormedfrom a sheet of metal having itsedges bent towardeach other as shown and the channels of" the innerandouter series break joints.

One' of the strips 4 is passed through each of the channelsand'isthereby guided into its proper position with relation to the otherstrips and the hose.

i It will now appear that the uncured hose 2 will be fed in between thesteel strips 4 at the left (Fig. 17) ofthe apparatus'andwill then passby being secured at their backs by rivets, or in any other suitable way,to an endlessflexible steel belt or strip 41 passing over the pulley 4.8at one end and about the pulley 45' at its other beneath the mouldmembers, that the mould members drivenby the gears 43. will be forceddownwithta desired pressureiupon the strips.

andethe .uncuredahosexby the inclined: supports 50) so that the hose andstrips. will'be'carried' 1 izing operation with the rubber hose.

along with the moulds as the series of mould members is moved to theright and the hose will be placed under the desired vulcanizingpressure;

= that shortly before the mould members are in a steam chamber 54 or inother suitable ways;

that after the vulcanizing operation has been completed theclamps 65will separate from the mould members which are permitted to separateand, being arranged in an endless series, they Willi successively returnto the entrance to the apparatus andag'ain, pass through the vulcan-Also the clamps or dogs for securing the mould members together, beingarranged in an endless series, will, after disengaging from the mouldmembers after the vulcanizing operation, return to the 3 leftand besuccessively brought intooperation in connection with the mouldmembers.-

The

v clamps will ordinarily be carried along with the series of mouldmembers by reason; of their frictional engagement therewith but theirmovement may also be facilitated by applying power to theshaft of thepulley 48 if desired. On account of the endless character of. the steelstrips, the series of securing dogs and the series of mould members theoperation of yulcanizing may be carried on continuously for as long a.period as desired, the uncured rubber hose being fed-into the entranceend of the apparatus (left of Fig. 17) and the vulcanized hose isdischarged from the exit end of the apparatus (right of Fig. 12).

It will be observed that the driving gears 43 push upon the seriesofmould members in the. vulcanizing course and thereby push such mouldmembers together and close up any spaces between them which mightotherwise be formed.

While the invention has been illustrated in what are considered its bestapplications, it may be embodied in other structures without departingfrom its spirit and is not therefore limited to the structures shown in.the drawings.

What I claim is:

.1. A vulcanizingmachine comprising in combination a plurality ofparallel endless series of mould members adapted to receive the materialto be vulcanized between them and means for exerting pressure upon mouldmembers of oneor more of said series during the vulcanizing operation,tending to force them toward the said material strips within said moldmembers and driving means for said strips connected in driving relationthereto independently of said mold members. I

2. A vulcanizing machine comprising inv combination a plurality ofparallel endless series of mould members adapted to receive the materialto. be vulcanized between them and a spring pressed bar for exertingyielding pressure upon mould members of one or more of said seriesduring the vulcanizing operation, tending to force them toward the saidmaterial strips within said mold membersand driving means for saidstrips connected in driving relation thereto independently of said moldmembers.

3. A vulcanizing machine comprising in combination a plurality ofparallel endless series of mould members adapted to receive the materialaxis of a cylindrical article to be vulcanized and driving means forsaid strips connected in driving relation thereto independently of saidmould members.

4. A vulcanizing machine comprising in combination an elongatedrelatively narrow vulcanizing chamber, a multiplicity of parallelendless series of mould members adapted to receive the material to bevulcanized between them and means for exerting pressure, upon mouldmembers of each of said series during the vulcanizing operation, tendingto force them toward the said material, said endless series comprisingan endless belt for each of said series with ,mould members securedthereto collectively defining and completely enclosing a restrictedcylindrical vulcanizing space within said chamber, and rollersinterposed between said belt and said pressure exerting means, saidrollers including a series for each of said mould series, each series ofrollers operating in an orbital path confined by the orbital path of oneof said mould series.

5. A vulcanizing machine comprising in combination a plurality ofparallel endless series of mould members adapted to receive the materialto be vulcanized between them and means for exerting pressure upon mouldmembers of one or more of said series during the vulcanizing operation,tending to force them toward the said material, a plurality of stripsupon the interior of said mould members and adapted to be interposedbetween the mould members and the material to be vulcanized, and meansfor driving said strips connected in driving relation theretoindependently of said mold members.

6. A vulcanizing machine comprising in combination a plurality ofparallel endless series of mould members adapted to receive the materialto be vulcanized between them and means for exerting pressure upon mouldmembers of one or more of said series during the vulcanizing operation,tending to force them toward the said material, said endless seriescomprising an endless belt and a plurality of mould members securedthereto, a plurality of strips upon the interior of said mould membersand adapted to be interposed between the mould members and the materialto be vulcanized, and means for driving said strips connected in drivingrelation thereto independently of said mold members.

7. A vulcanizing machine comprising in combination a plurality ofparallel endless series of mould members adapted to receive the materialto be vulcanized between them and means for exerting pressure upon mouldmembers of one or more of said series during the vulcanizing oper ation,tending to force them toward the said material, said endless seriescomprising an endlessbelt and a plurality of mould members securedthereto and rollers interposed between said belt and said pressureexerting means, a pluralityof strips upon the interior of said mouldmembers and adapted to be interposed between the mould members and thematerial to be vulcanized-and means for driving said strips I exertingmeans, a plurality of strips upon the interior of said mould members andadapted to be interposed between the mould members and the material tobe vulcanized, and means for driving said strips.

9. A vulcanizing machine comprising in combination a series of mouldmembers adapted to exert pressure upon the material to be vulcanized andheaters mounted on said mould members individually, strips within saidmold members and driving means for said strips connected in drivmouldmembers oi' one members and ing relation thereto independently of saidmold members. 7

10. A vulcanizing machine comprising in combination a series of mouldmembers adapted to exert pressure upon the material to be vulcanizedwand electric heaters mounted on said mould members individually, stripswithin said mold driving means for said strips connected in drivingrelation thereto independently of said mold members.

11. A vuloanizing machine comprising in combination a series of mouldmembers adapted to exertpressure upon the material to be vulcanized andelectric heaters mounted on said mould members individually, and trolleyconductors extending along the path of said mould members and contactsmounted on said mould members and adapted to be in sliding engagementwith said trolley conductors, strips within said mold members anddriving means for said strips connected in driving relation theretoindependently of said mold members.

ARCHIBALD L. WALLACE. 3

